Title: The Search for Tech-Related Admin Jobs in Times of Technological Change
Lara Karki
Ph.D. Student in Human-Centered Computing
School of Interactive Computing
Georgia Institute of Technology
Date: Thursday, November 20
Time: 10am-1pm ET
Location: Coda C1315 Grant Park
Meeting Details:
https://gatech.zoom.us/j/9931798673?pwd=ajQxZzNkMjJabHZCR0R4TkNzMTJBdz09&omn=98370217856
Meeting ID: 993 179 8673
Passcode: 253244
Abstract:
Computing work increasingly happens in administrative roles. Data management, platform configuration, and business operations may all occur in positions not typically considered computing jobs, such as customer service representative, receptionist, or executive assistant. DataWorks is a one-year paid work-training program at Georgia Tech for adults aiming to transition from hourly wage work into these sorts of roles, what I call tech-related admin jobs. My research is rooted in a three-year embedded ethnography at DataWorks, where I founded and facilitated a career development program to prepare the workers to find full-time jobs after their one-year term. While we found success in workers obtaining jobs at Georgia Tech or continuing with DataWorks, none of the workers were able to get jobs outside of Georgia Tech before the program ended despite acquiring in-demand data skills, building professional connections, and preparing for job search.
This dissertation proposal examines why the workers could not get jobs. In my prior work, I identified barriers embedded in job search technologies and gatekeeping in the computing industry. These barriers are significant, but they cannot fully explain why DataWorks' workers could not find employment despite public narratives around digital skill gaps and workforce shortages. This paradox suggests a misalignment in how skill is perceived and evaluated across the hiring process. My proposed work aims to look outside of DataWorks to reveal how perceptions of skill differ among job seekers, workers, and management, and to identify mutually beneficial opportunities to address this misalignment. This research will contribute to developing accessible employment pathways and futures for tech-related admin jobs and workers.
Committee:
Dr. Betsy DiSalvo (Advisor, Professor, Interactive Computing, GA Tech)
Dr. Beki Grinter (Professor, Interactive Computing, GA Tech)
Dr. Judith Uchidiuno (Assistant Professor, Interactive Computing, GA Tech)
Dr. Bhumika Chauhan (Assistant Professor, School of History and Sociology, GA Tech)
Dr. Tawanna Dillahunt (Professor, School of Information, University of Michigan)